Insurance Business Babes

Kathe Kline
  • 4.8 (37)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Joanna Wyckoff and Kathe Kline each work in the Medicare space, but they run their businesses very differently. Tune in each week to find out what they are talking about and how they can help your Medicare and ACA business grow. Do you want us to talk about something on the show? Send us an audio message (you are giving us permission to use it on the show) at https://s.bcast.fm/insurance-business-babes.

  1. 22h ago

    Fact Find Beyond Medicare: The Form Isn't the Sale. The Process Is

    If your appointments start and end with Medicare, you're leaving most of the relationship on the table. While Joanna's out, Kevin Sword sits down with TopFlight lead agent Mario Ortega to walk through the fact finder that turns a Medicare appointment into a full retirement conversation. Mario covers his whole process: how he introduces himself at seminars so clients expect the bigger conversation, the personal questions that uncover hidden income and needs, and how to spot openings for long-term care, life insurance, critical illness and annuities without selling during the fact find. In this episode: Why your process matters more than any formPositioning yourself as a retirement advisor, not "just" a Medicare agentHow asking about marriage, divorce or widowhood can uncover Social Security benefits worth $1,200 to $1,500 a monthReading the client: teachers, engineers, doctors and government employeesThe deductible and out-of-pocket question that shows when a Med Supp beats the work planUsing family health history and parents' longevity to guide cancer, critical illness and annuity conversationsLong-term care without fear tactics, and why every AEP is another chance to bring it upHow the Heartland home health plan fits clients with long medication listsLife insurance reviews: spotting accidental death coverage sold as "whole life," and partnering with estate attorneysReal client stories: the pension question behind a $500K rollover, and the $80K old IRA that became the "dumbest luck annuity"Hidden income such as dividends and high-yield savings interest that pushes clients into IRMAA surchargesWhy you should always close the Medicare sale first Guest: Mario OrtegaHost: Kevin Sword (filling in for Joanna Wyckoff)Insurance Business Babes is owned by Cmed LLC.

  2. Sep 28

    Prep Yourself Before AEP Preps You

    AEP is in the air and Kathe and Joanna are not entirely thrilled aboutit. In this episode, the ladies get into what's frustrating about thisseason (carriers releasing first looks in late September, non-commissionableplans, and plans being suppressed off Medicare.gov entirely) and whatagents can actually do about it. Then they shift to the part most agentsskip: getting yourself ready before October 15th hits. What they cover:  - Why waiting on carrier first looks has agents stuck in "hurry upand wait" - Directing clients to Medicare.gov for PDP reviews and what to expectfrom the accuracy - Guaranteed issue confusion, and why unlicensed guidance costs consumersreal money - Why your business address should not be your home address (especiallyfor women)- Pre-AEP admin: license renewals, CE hours, FFM certification, carregistration. Do it now - Health prep that protects your season: doctor appointments, mealprepping, grocery delivery, and walking while you work  If your birthday falls during AEP, this one's especially for you.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  Subscribe for more real talk on growing your insurance business. Questions or a topic you want covered? Reach out, we read everything.  Host: Joanna Wyckoff & Kathe KlineInsurance Business Babes is owned by Cmed LLC.

  3. Sep 14

    How to Mine Your Book With Laura Winningham

    Most agents are sitting on a book of business they never go back to. In this episode, Joanna and Laura pick up last week's conversation and get specific: How do you call a client you enrolled years ago and offer them something new without feeling like a product pusher? The answer starts before the sale. Laura walks through how she sets the expectation at the very first meeting: she's not there to sell a plan, she's there for the whole person. That framing is what makes the second, third, and fifth conversation possible years later. They cover: Why the relationship has to start at the seminar table, not at renewalGetting your phone number into the client's phone before they ever need youHow to read a client's medication list as a roadmap to coverage gapsPainting the picture: what recovery actually looks like after a stroke, and why family isn't a planUsing real client stories instead of product pitchesGetting a benefit into the client's hands fast so they never second-guess the decisionTagging and organizing your book so you know exactly who to call nextWhy the no-shows on your seminar list are still leads you paid forThe mindset shift: you're an entrepreneur offering solutions, not a salesperson pushing productWhere life insurance and annuities fit for agents feeling squeezed on Medicare commissions Laura's core argument: if you don't offer it, nobody will. And the client pays for that silence later.Subscribe for more real talk on growing your insurance business. Questions or a topic you want covered? Reach out, we read everything. Guest: Laura WinninghamHost: Joanna Wyckoff & Kathe Kline Insurance Business Babes is owned by Cmed LLC.

  4. Sep 7

    Squeeze Your Funnel: The Event is Over. The Sale Isn't

    You may as well be lighting your marketing budget on fire if you're not following up. While Kathy's away, Joanna sits down with special guest Laura Winningham to unpack the follow-up system that separates agents who fill their calendars from agents whose RSVPs go cold. Laura shares her exact playbook from calling every lead before the event and using storytelling techniques that build instant trust, to capturing the cross-selling opportunities (cancer, home health care, life insurance) most agents miss. In this episode: Why calling leads before the event sets the first impression and outperforms waiting for an inbound callHow storytelling (not the ABCs) is what actually sells you in a seminarReading the room: tailoring your pitch to teachers, federal workers, and union membersThe "Cancer Alley" hook and other stories that make prospects lean in Real client stories: the $10,000 deductible surprise, the wired-jaw dental gap, and the scooter that got denied How the Heartland home health care rebate mechanism works (and why clients love it) Using VAs and automations without losing the personal touch The permission-to-contact rule: why no-shows and old leads are still fair game Why your existing client list is a goldmine you're not mining hard enough Guest: Laura WinninghamHost: Joanna Wyckoff Insurance Business Babes is owned by Cmed LLC.

  5. Aug 31

    Preparing for AEP Reviews with Emily Henderson and Kevin

    Kathy's on a break this episode, so Joanna brings the show straight from a Monday Morning Live training session, joined by COO Kevin and guest trainer Emily Henderson, one of the team's top producers. Emily walks through a live role-play demo of exactly how she presents a Medicare Advantage plan review to a client, using Kevin as her practice client "Mr. Jones." This episode is a masterclass in presentation structure: Emily shows how to walk a client through a summary of benefits line by line, premiums, deductibles, MOOP, hospital copays, specialist visits, and extra perks while identifying "the holes" in the plan as she goes, not after the sale is done. Joanna jumps in with the reasoning behind the technique: why you have to bring up gap coverage while the client is still feeling the "pain point," and why staying silent about it isn't neutral, it's a disservice. In this episode: A full live walkthrough of how to present a Medicare Advantage summary of benefitsHow to identify plan "holes" in real time instead of circling back laterWhy bringing up hospital copay, dental, and cancer gap coverage during the pain point works better than pitching it afterwardThe "you're the expert" mindset: why offering gap coverage is a responsibility, not a sales tacticA simple way to reframe cost: showing clients they're often paying just a few dollars a month for extensive protection If you've ever struggled with how to naturally bring up ancillary coverage without sounding like you're upselling, this episode gives you the exact language and structure to do it.  Follow Insurance Business Babes so you never miss an episode.   Hosted by Kathy Klein & Joanna Wyckoff

  6. Aug 24

    AEP Starts Now: Build Your Pipeline, Relationships & Referral Network

    Medicare season doesn’t end when enrollment periods end—it’s time to start building for AEP. In this training, Joanna Wyckoff explains how top Medicare agents use the months leading up to AEP to fill their calendars, nurture existing clients, cross-sell additional products, uncover overlooked plan benefits, and build valuable referral partnerships. Learn how to reverse-engineer Medicare plan benefits to find dentists, DME providers, vision centers, gyms, realtors, and other community partners, while using events and ongoing outreach to create a steady pipeline of prospects. The focus is simple: get active now, build relationships, provide value, and create the foundation for a successful AEP.Topics covered: Preparing for AEP EarlyBuilding a Full Activity Calendar Cross-Selling Your Existing Book of BusinessReverse-Engineering Plan BenefitsBuilding Referral PartnershipsCommunity Engagement & EventsBuilding a Prospect PipelineFinding Special Enrollment OpportunitiesThe Core Strategy

  7. Aug 17

    AI in Your Insurance Business: Where It Helps, Where It Hurts

    Kathe and Joanna get real about AI, from cloned voices on stage to ChatGPT catching a kidney stone diagnosis. A candid, unfiltered look at using AI wisely in your insurance business. AI is everywhere but are you using it right? In this episode of Insurance Business Babes, Kathe and Joanna dive into the good, the frustrating, and the downright deceptive sides of AI in business and everyday life. They talk about AI voice cloning gone wrong, why "AI island renderings" should come with a warning label, and how leaning too hard on AI chatbots can cost you real clients. On the flip side, Joanna shares how she's trained her own AI to sound like her brand, and Kathe gets personal about how ChatGPT helped her figure out what was causing her kidney stones (turns out her "healthy" vegetarian diet was the culprit). They also talk carrier niching down, why spreading your business across too many carriers won't win you trips, and Joanna's ongoing hunt for beachfront property to fund her insurance-to-real-estate exit plan. Bottom line: use AI to work smarter, not to fake it because your clients and your audience can tell the difference. Topics covered: AI voice cloning and deepfakes in marketingSpotting AI-generated real estate listings and social postsTraining your AI to sound like your actual brand voiceNiching down with carriers to win IMO-level tripsUsing ChatGPT for personal health research (kidney stones, diet, GLP-1s)Why AI customer service can frustrate clients and what to do insteadBuilding a real estate exit strategy funded by insurance income

  8. Aug 10

    Growing Your Insurance Business the Right Way: LOAs, Hiring & Work-Life Balance

    Joanna just landed her first Licensed Only Agent (LOA) and she's breaking down exactly how to do it right. In this episode of Insurance Business Babes, Joanna and Kathy dive deep into: What LOAs can (and can't) do with your book of businessClient ownership, non-solicit agreements & protecting your Medicare agencyWhy she hired a licensed service assistant instead of a traditional LOABringing on a COO with military leadership experienceBalancing rapid business growth as a single mom in the insurance industryThe au pair decision that's changing her work-life balance before AEP Whether you're a Medicare agent scaling your team, considering your first LOA hire, or just trying to figure out how to build support systems that actually work. This episode is packed with real talk on hiring, trust, and running a growing insurance business without burning out. Tune in for an honest conversation about leadership, boundaries, and what it really takes to scale in the Medicare space.#InsuranceBusinessBabes #MedicareAgent #LOA #InsuranceAgency #WomenInInsurance #MedicareAdvantage #AEP #InsuranceLeadership #WorkLifeBalance #SmallBusinessHiring

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4.8
out of 5
37 Ratings

About

Joanna Wyckoff and Kathe Kline each work in the Medicare space, but they run their businesses very differently. Tune in each week to find out what they are talking about and how they can help your Medicare and ACA business grow. Do you want us to talk about something on the show? Send us an audio message (you are giving us permission to use it on the show) at https://s.bcast.fm/insurance-business-babes.

Information

  • Creator
    Kathe Kline
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    116
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Kathe Kline
  • Show Website
    Insurance Business Babes

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